2014 3rd Quarter - Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter
Transcription
2014 3rd Quarter - Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter
www.sgmpaustin.org July—September 2014 Professional Development Seminar Wrap-Up Kimberly Bradford-Brown Texas Workforce Commission The Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter of SGMP held its 2014 Professional Development Seminar (PDS), August 15-17, in Corpus Christi, Texas. “Catching the Wave of Education: You’ll ‘Shore-ly’ Learn a ‘Gulf Load’” was a rousing success! The people were plentiful, the location was splendid, the educational speakers were exceptional, the exhibitors were informative and the fun – oh, the fun was phenomenal! There were 75 people in attendance at the Omni Corpus Christi. The hotel ensured that all of our needs were met to facilitate an awesome program. A huge shout out to Amanda Campbell and Jackie Ray for making everything right! Folks showed up ready to learn and the event started on a great note. Continued on page 3 SOCIETY OF GOVERNMENT MEETING PROFESSIONALS Chapter Meeting—November 13, 2014—5:00pm Working with Venues to Maximize Value & Minimize Stress Our guest speakers for the evening will be Mary Cearly, Director of Administration, and Kerry Fillip, Senior Conference Coordinator, both with the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University. These award winning folks have extensive experience in working in conference planning and working with venues. Their bios are impressive! This session will focus on contract negotiation strategies, benefits of relationship building and pre-event planning techniques. After the session, attendees will be able to: 1. Negotiate contracts so that each party gets the best value on a limited budget. 2. Build relationships for the long-term win-win for each party. 3. Execute pre-event planning techniques that improve communication and reduce stress for each party. Hosts for the meeting are: SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Page 1 Presidents Message Robert Casias, CMP National Guard Association of Texas Well, we moved into fall at warp speed. I just can’t seem to figure how time flies by so quickly. Mentally, I think I am still stuck back in June. This may be due to the fact that I am keeping busy and having a pretty good time in the process, so I guess all is good. We have done much since the start of our new fiscal year and we are currently planning on a successful 2015 for our chapter. Membership As a chapter, we have always remained solid in our planner to supplier ratio. However, due to retirements, our percentage has dropped to 50.4%. We have 58 planner members and 57 supplier members. We have an additional 14 members in the contract planner and retired categories for a total of 129 members. We are the largest chapter in our region, followed by Wild Wild West Oklahoma (71 members), North Texas (44), Houston Gulf Coast (36) and San Antonio (25). The good news is that all of the chapters in our region are meeting NEWSLETTER TEAM CHAIR/EDITOR: Janet Spies JFS Events (512) 461-3236 jspi456@yahoo.com BOARD LIAISON: Jackie Ray Omni Corpus Christi Hotel (361) 886-3563 jray@omnihotels.com COMMITTEE / CONTRIBUTORS: Kimberly Bradford-Brown, Texas Workforce Commission Rob Casias, CMP, National Guard Association of Texas Theresa Campos, CGMP, Holiday Inn Midtown Megan Hamilton, CGMP, Sheraton Austin Hotel Stacy Janecka, CMP, Office of the Attorney General Karen Krc, Accenture Louis LeDoux, DARS Robert Nichols, CMP, Governor’s Center for Management Development Jackie Ray, Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Susan Ruiz, Texas Workforce Commission Estes Sher, Hilton Americas—Houston Jim Zukowski, CGMP, Contract Planner the 50/50% ratio. Our chapter has some excellent planner prospects and the membership committee is working diligently to get them signed up. If you know of any planners interested in joining our chapter, please send me their contact information and I will be happy to contact them and explain the benefits of membership in SGMP. We want to increase and maintain a strong membership base and we need everyone’s help. Education The current board of directors approved a new budget that includes $3500 for our educational programming. This funding will allow our education committee to continue to book exciting and informative speakers for our chapter meetings. The education committee is currently finalizing our 2015 education calendar, so if you have suggestions for speakers or education core competency topics, please email our Education Committee Chair, Theresa Campos, CGMP at tcampos@hiausmid.com. We are also looking for venues/sponsors PIE & NEC The Region 5 Partners In Education (PIE) Conference is scheduled for March 6-8, 2015 at the DoubleTree by Hilton San Antonio Airport Hotel. The conference registration Fire Sale runs from November 10-30. The rates are $40 for planners and guests, $95 for non-exhibiting suppliers, and $250 for exhibiting suppliers. The hotel rates are $69 for planners and $110 for suppliers. The rates are valid 2 days pre and post conference. The conference committee is looking for volunteers and sponsors. For additional information on the PIE, visit the host chapter’s website at SGMPSanAntonio.com. The 2015 SGMP NEC & Expo will be held in Minneapolis, MN, on April 28-30, 2015. This will be our 33rd annual NEC — the biggest annual event in the government meetings industry — where government professionals from across the country come together for one-stop and non-stop education, resources and networking. To obtain additional information or register for the conference please visit the SGMP.org website. I want to thank all of our members and suppliers who attended our Professional Development Seminar in Corpus Christi. We had a very successful meeting and silent auction. A special thanks to Kimberly Bradford Brown, CGMP, JoAnn Gonzales, LaToya Scott, the PDS Committee and sponsors. Thank you members for all you do for SGMP and our Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter. Get connected to government meetings - Rob Casias, CMP SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter plug into SGMP! Page 2 From the Editor PDS Charity Update It is starting to look a lot like fall y’all!! This is my favorite time of the year! Football, holidays, friends, and family...time to give thanks for all our gifts and blessings. The 3rd quarter of this year brought new challenges and opportunities my way! In addition to my event business and consulting practice, I opened an antique/ vintage shop in Hallettsville, TX! I’m loving it so far! This 4th quarter is off to a good start with a successful meeting in October and plans for an informative meeting in November. Then in December, it is time for our holiday party and auction! It is not too early to start thinking about what you might donate to the auction! AND what toys you will bring for Blue Santa! With Christmas and the new year just around the corner, it is also time to start think about what you want to accomplish and contribute next year. We are also starting our search for candidates for the 2015-2017 chapter board. Could you be a candidate? I am starting my search for a replacement! I’ve got just a few more issues to complete before my time as editor runs out. I would love to work with one of you over the next 6-9 months to transition this responsibility. Want to see your name in print? Contact me!! Onward! Jackie Ray Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Our selected charity for our PDS held at the Omni Corpus Christi Hotel this August was the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission. Established in 1953, it is the largest shelter in the Coastal Bend and provides 24% of the shelter beds in the area. One of the special things done at Good Sam is a Christmas Eve Celebration with the Christmas Story, food, hot chocolate and tons of gifts. To celebrate their efforts, the PDS attendees were presented with colorful Christmas gifts marked for “woman”, “man” or “family” and participated in buying chances at choosing one of those gifts. Through the generosity of our members, Ms. Liz Hawkins arrived on Sunday morning to accept our donation of $350.00 from our TLSCC President, Rob Casias. We did good! Janet Spies PDS Wrap-Up, cont’d We kicked off the weekend with a fun outing at Brewster Street Ice House on Friday night, where there was plenty of food and fellowship amongst friends! Saturday began the educational adventure where dynamic speakers like Robb Overholt tuned us up with his Keys of Change, Roxanne Gruhlke helped us to define our strengths and Veronica Morales offered the latest trends in technology and social media. We were surprised at lunch with the quirky antics of David Deeble. In the afternoon, Donna Johnson piqued our desire to Plan Less and Do More and the last speaker on Saturday, Hank Moore, showed us how to preempt crisis with effective planning. The day ended with our tradeshow where we met with and learned more about our awesome sponsors and exhibitors. Sunday morning we were provided with our last educational opportunity in the person of Los Ellis, who encouraged us to Let Our Reality Mirror Our Dreams! I can truly say that my dreams of the 2014 PDS definitely SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter became a reality! This year’s sponsors were Omni Hotels & Resorts – Corpus Christi, Omni Hotels & Resorts of Texas, Corpus Christi CVB, Laredo CVB, Lubbock CVB, Hilton Hotel – Austin Airport, Bryan College Station CVB. Thank you so much for your sponsorship!! And of course thank you to all of the exhibitors for making the ;tradeshow’ so successful! Thank you for exhibiting! A special thank you to all of the committee chairs and committee members! I must say a very special thank you to Rob Casias, Megan Hamilton and LaToya Scott for all of their unyielding support of JoAnn and me as we planned this event. Thank you TLSCC for the opportunity! Page 3 SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Page 4 Technology Today Choosing a Mobile App for Your Next Meeting or Event Estes Sher, Senior Sales Manager Hilton Americas-Houston Almost every group now has a mobile app for their next meeting or event, or is thinking about creating one. Mobile apps for your events help attendees get involved and stay engaged with your events before, during and afterwards. You can think of a mobile app for your events as your portable electronic version of your event brochure that is interactive and can be accessed on your mobile device, e.g., cell phone, tablet, laptop, etc. It can cover just one event or multiple events and its content and functionality can reside on the web (“Web apps” or “mobile cloud apps”) or be downloaded to your device and run locally (“native apps”) or a combination of the two. Great mobile event apps provide current and relevant information to members; are interactive; showcase the organization; engage members; promote future events; and drive value to members. The main advantage of a web-based app is that it can be accessed from any device with a web browser. The main disadvantage of a web-based app is that you need an Internet connection while you use it. If you are encouraging your people to use a web-based app at your events and they don’t have a data plan for their mobile device, then you might wind up paying “extra Internet charges” for your attendees’ convenience. On the other hand, if you have a “native app” that runs locally on your mobile device, then you don’t need Internet service to use it except for the initial download. Many apps are actually “hybrid apps” that run locally for many functions but have additional features that run on the Web. If you want to have interactive communications between attendees at your event, then you will typically need to provide Internet access for your members who do not have data plans. A few things to consider when choosing the right mobile app for your next meeting or event: 1. What devices and operating system are your members mostly using, e.g., iOS, Android or Windows? 2. Do most of your attendees have data plans to download and/or run your app or will they need you to provide Internet access? 3. If you host multiple meetings and events during the year, then would you rather create a new app for each event or get a multi-event app that only requires updates between events to function properly? To try out different mobile apps for free, I suggest you either (1) go to any association website and search for their mobile event app, which is typically free (or at least for their past meetings) or (2) check out free generic mobile event apps from your Android Google Play Store or your Apple App Store. In either case, I suggest you try out as many different mobile event apps as possible to determine the look and feel of the app you would like to have for your own mobile event app. Education Committee Update Theresa Campos and the education committee are working hard to plan the TLSCC Calendar of events for 2015. They need your help in providing venues for the meetings. If your property or company is interested in working more closely with the government market, then this is a perfect opportunity for you! If you can’t host on your own, consider partnering with another hotel, CVB or other supplier. Look for unique venues that might offer their space at a decreased price (or free!) for the exposure to meeting planners in the Austin area. Questions? Want to help? Contact Theresa at (512) 06-3015 or via email at tcampos@hiausmid.com. Thanks in advance for your consideration! SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Page 5 Financial & Fundraising Reports FINANCIAL REPORT July—September 2014 Susan Ruiz Texas Workforce Commission Thanks to all of our donors, listed below, in the third quarter of the year! Especially those supporters who contributed to the Silent Auction/Bag Raffle at the 2014 Professional Development Seminar in August. We would also like to thank our host hotel, the Omni Corpus Christi Hotel, for their gracious hospitality. Mark Your Calendars! Our Annual Holiday Party and Silent Auction Event is scheduled for December 4, 2014 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. This is one of our largest fundraisers for the Chapter. Silent auction and bag raffle donation forms are available on our TLSCC website. Donors Louis LeDoux Ruth Buck Grace Nied Bob Nichols Chris Maguire Aileen Ramos Heather Downing Willma Harvey Estes Sher Elizabeth Rison Jim Zukowski Kerry Fillip Kay Summerville Rhonda Durst Kathy Sawyer Rob Casias Jana Ibarra Veronda Durden Lisa York JoAnn Robinson Wade Echols Downtown Loretta Howard Donna Flores JoAnn Gonzales Tammy Sruber Laura Tibbitts Jackie Ray Kimberly Bradford-Brown Susan Ruiz Brandon Batchelor Karen Krc David Price Kim Kizer Darlene Morgan Janet Spies Carolyn Salinas Theresa Campos Lori Mansell Veronica Morales Property / Business DARS Embassy Suites, San Marcos Grace Nied Consulting Governor's Center for Management Development The Parking Spot Laredo CVB Hilton Austin Airport Cinnamon Shore Hilton Americas-Houston Hyatt House Austin Arboretum Contract Planner TAMU Transportation Institute Plano CVB Retired Drury Hotels – Austin National Guard Assn. of Texas Crowne Plaza Hotel-Austin DARS Holiday Inn Hill Country North El Tropicano Riverwalk-San Antonio Holiday Inn Corpus Christi Irving CVB Texas Workforce Commission Texas Workforce Commission Bryan CVB UT Texas Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Texas Workforce Commission Texas Workforce Commission Crowne Plaza Arlington Accenture Hilton Garden Inn Downtown TCDRS Crowne Plaza – Houston Reliant Medical Center JFS Events Texas Workforce Commission Holiday Inn Midtown Radisson Ft. Worth-Fossil Creek The Social Being Corpus Christi CVB CC Mustang & Padre Islands Bryan College Station CVB Drury Hotels San Antonio (Plaza North & La Cantera) SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Megan Hamilton, MBA, CGMP Sheraton Austin Hotel INCOME Monthly Meeting Registrations ...........................$596.06 PDS Registrations.............................................1,924.15 Raffles ...............................................................1,003.00 Revenue Share ....................................................250.00 PDS Sponsorships ............................................4,872.88 Silent Auction ...................................................2,352.38 Networking Cruise................................................276.46 Donations/Charities ..............................................164.00 Total Income:............................................... $11,438.93 EXPENSE PDS Expenses ................................................$8,530.36 Bank charges .........................................................74.05 Postage ..................................................................12.35 Community service expense ..................................50.00 Total Expenses: ............................................$8,666.76 YEAR to Date Results Net Income/Loss for year ................................$2,772.17 Account Balance .............................................$8,456.89 Up-Coming Event Holiday Event and Silent Auction December 4, 2014 Jim Zukowski, CGMP The Holiday Event and Silent Auction will be held on Thursday, December 4th at the Crowne Plaza hotel starting at 5 p.m. This is our traditional program where we honor chapter volunteers and hold a fundraising silent auction. Money raised from the silent auction and bag raffles supports the chapter in providing scholarships to deserving chapter members. Besides the large silent auction, this event also supports Operation Blue Santa, which is a project sponsored by the Austin Police Department, to provide Christmas gifts to deserving children. Bring your silent auction items, your check books, credit cards and unwrapped toys to the event. Your contributions to the chapter, as well as to Operation Blue Santa will be greatly appreciated!! Page 6 To PDS Attendees (and SGMP chapter members) A follow-up from Robb Overholt: August 26th, 2014 To the attendees of the SGMP Professional Development Seminar in Corpus Christi: It was such an honor and privilege to be with you all last weekend. I wanted to touch base and encourage you all to continue to strive forward in creating Positive Change in your life. The following are a few challenges to remind you to keep pushing forward. Professionally: As a company in your business, in your job, what is it that you couldn’t stomach to watch your competitors beat you to the market with? How can you Risk Like a Love Song to keep that from happening? What position, promotion, potential in you remains untapped or unachieved? How can you Risk Like a Love Song to make it happen? Personally: In your marriage and/or relationships, what do you need to SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter do, right now to put your head and heart all in and … Risk Like a Love Song? What goals and/or dreams are lying dormant within you that you need to reignite and start taking some chances to see them realized? How can you Risk Like a Love Song in order to make them happen? Re-prioritize your goals, if need be, and always ensure that there is the inclusion of a “dare-to-be-great” think… Not just a list of “do-able” things. If you always go for the “do-able” thing, do you know what you’ll always get? The “do-able” thing. But if you go for the GREAT thing… I admit, you may not get it… but you’ll get a lot more than you would have if you had just settled for the “do-able.” So what’s the “dare-to-be-great” thing in you? I want to challenge you to: Take the risk of saying it our loud… tell somebody. Declare it—And inspire humanity. The risk of writing it down… over and over again. Commit to it. And make a plan. The risk of taking action… even if it’s the smallest increment. Act on it—And watch as the right people stepup. Go ahead and get started. - robb overholt 512.593.1966 info@RobbOverholt.com www.robboverholt.com http://robboverholt.tumblr.com/ Page 7 Cyber-Security Terrence Crayton Data Security Administrator Omni Hotels Management Corporation--Corporate IT Stronger Password Tips Two essential password rules: Rule 1 – Password Length: Stick with passwords that are at least 8 characters in length. More characters in the password is better, as the time taken to crack the password by an attacker will be longer. 10 characters or longer are better. Rule 2- Password Complexity: Should contain at least one character from each of the following groups. At least 4 characters in your passwords should be each one of the following: Lower case letters Upper case letters Numbers Special characters (*&^%$!) SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Practice Safe Surfing Be watchful of what you discuss on social networking environments (such as chat) Remain as anonymous as possible. That means keeping all private information private Protect and conceal information such as flight schedules, deployment or temporary duty (TDY) locations and job specifics Protect sensitive and personal information Videos can get widespread attention or become “viral” Social Media Etiquette (Do’s & Don’ts) 1. DO message private matters instead of posting on public sites (such as wall) 2. DO call rather than post personal news 3. DO reply to comments 4. DO avoid posting comments on every post 5. DO be careful of your tone; try using emoticons 6. DON’T make friend requests to strangers 7. DON’T tag your friends in “un-glam” shots 8. DON’T over-share yourself 9. DON’T vent about your job 10. DON’T criticize/”flame” others Page 8 Recipe of the Quarter Elephants Delicatessen Portland, Oregon Recipe submitted by Louis LeDoux Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Tomato-Orange Soup 1/2 c. unsalted butter 1/2 medium onion, diced (2) 14 1/2-oz. cans unsalted diced tomatoes 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1 c. fresh orange juice 1/2 c. whipping cream Welcome New Members! Aaron Zimmerman Karen Krc Accenture Born in Bulverde, Texas (just on the outskirts of San Antonio), Aaron Zimmerman is the newest member to join our Texas Lone Star Chapter of SGMP. Aaron is the government sales manager at the lovely DoubleTree Hotel at I-35 and 290. The DoubleTree is a longtime friend and favorite of SGMP. Aaron’s interest in the hotel business was initiated primarily because of the consistent growth of our city and being able to experience different cultures from around the world. Aaron spent almost seven years in the military traveling the world and wanted to experience the other side. He is looking forward to getting more involved with SGMP. He enjoys the professional development and the way hoteliers and government agencies work together that proves most beneficial to both parties. He looks forward to increasing his knowledge of government meetings and events, as politics and government policies & practices have always been of special interest to him. Aaron studied at the University of Maryland in Europe – Ferizaj Kosovo and DeVry University in Austin as a business administration major. Aaron’s current professional short term goal is to become a director of sales in the hotel industry. His eventual long term goal is to venture into public politics. He definitely has my vote! In his personal life, Aaron enjoys spending time with his loving wife, Melissa, and their amazing four year old son, Maddox. Aaron’s personal goals are to continue working with different veteran organizations to help give much needed support to his veteran comrades. Let’s give a collective salute and offer a hearty SGMP welcome to Aaron Zimmerman. Be sure to say hello and introduce yourself to him at our next meeting! SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter In a saucepan, melt butter; add onion and sauté until translucent. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, baking soda and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Puree in a food processor or blender; strain through a sieve or food mill. Return to saucepan and stir in orange juice and cream. Bring to a simmer and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve hot. Note: Portland, Oregon was the site of the 2014 SGMP National Education Conference. Elephants Deli was just a few blocks from the host hotel! Denise Arnold, CHSP Robert Nichols Governor’s Center for Management Development The Texas Lone Star experienced the honor of a new supplier member from the Texas Coast becoming part of the Society of Government Meeting Professionals. A native of the Texas South Coast, Denise Arnold returned to her roots in June 2014 becoming director of sales for the City of South Padre Island Convention & Visitors Bureau. Capital Chapter Born and reared in Kingsville, Denise is excited to be back on the beaches of Texas where she spends as much time as possible golfing, paddle boarding and relaxing on the beach. She is a graduate of Texas A&M Kingsville with 20+ years of hotel experience. Her hotel career began in Austin LaQuinta Corporate sales, Embassy Suites Downtown, Drury and Holiday Inn properties. A career move took her to Longview with Corporate Sales Lodging Host for Town Management Company. Returning to the Texas Coast in Corpus Christi, Denise joined the New Hyatt Place, Springhouse Suites and Marriott American Resorts Management. After two years in the Corpus Christi area, she accepted an opportunity to join the City of South Padre Island. When not sharing the great opportunities offered in South Padre Island, you will most likely find this Yellow Rose of Texas and avid golfer, with a 12 handicap, on the links or in the Gulf of Mexico. Look for Denise when making Central Texas sales calls and attending the TLSCC monthly education event. This bundle of energy offers exciting opportunities when coordinating events in South Padre Island. Page 9 Community Involvement Partner’s in Education—2015 Karen Krc Accenture H.O.P.E. Our Community Involvement event for the 3 rd quarter was a clothing drive for the non-profit organization named H.O.P.E. The acronym stands for “Helping Others Progress Economically”. Our chapter collected over fifty pounds of clothing to donate to H.O.P.E. (formerly Lisa’s Hope Chest) at the September Chapter meeting at Z-Tejas. The donated clothes, accessories and toiletries are provided at no charge to the folks who are making a transition and trying to get back into the workplace. We look forward to contributing each year and consider it a great honor to be affiliated with this wonderful organization. 4th Quarter—Blue Santa Our 4th quarter community involvement activity will once again be Blue Santa! Austin Police Operation Blue Santa is a 501(c)(3) – non-profit, community-based corporation. Each year they provide each family we serve with a full holiday meal and wrapped Christmas gifts for each child under age 14. Our service to citizens of Austin began back in 1972 serving about 20 families, this year they will easily serve over 3800 families. Please consider donating cash and gifts for this worthwhile organization. Bring your donations to the chapter meeting on December 4 at the Crowne Plaza! Mark Your Calendar – March 6-8, 2015! The SGMP San Antonio Alamo Chapter is excited to host the SGMP Region V 2015 Partners In Education (PIE) Conference along with co-hosts the Texas Lone Star Capital, Oklahoma Wild West, North Texas and Houston Gulf Coast Chapters. The Region V PIE Conference mission is to provide a forum for government meeting professionals to advance our members' knowledge on meeting planning topics and trends in order to stay relevant in an everchanging industry. Host Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton San Antonio Airport 37 NE Interstate 410 Loop San Antonio, Texas 78216 (210) 366-2424 Lodging Rates: Planners $69 Suppliers $110 Registration Fire Sale Rates Save $$$ by registering during the fire sale! Registration opens November 10, 2014 and the Fire Sales Rates are available from November 10-30, 2014. Planners $40 Non-Exhibiting Suppliers $95 Exhibiting Suppliers $250 Guests $40 Sponsorships This is the perfect opportunity to showcase your property to five chapters and over 100 attendees! Additional sponsorship information is available online. Or contact Linda Jackson, CGMP – Sponsorship Chair at villajack@yahoo.com or 512-731-4524. Need more information? Contact any one of the following: Conference Chair Jim Zukowski, CGMP San Antonio Alamo Chapter Conference Co-Chairs Rob Casias, CMP Gail Russell Texas Lone Star Oklahoma Wild West Capital Chapter Chapter Pat Swagerty Houston Gulf Coast Chapter John Fox North Texas Chapter www.sgmpsanantonio.com SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Page 10 SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Page 11 Meeting Wrap-Ups July 10, 2014 Janet Spies JFS Events On Thursday, July 10, a number of TLSCC members and guests boarded the Lone Star River Boat on Lady Bird Lake. The ship set sale for a 3 hour tour…a 3 hour tour…The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed… Wait! There was a Skipper, but no Gilligan! We did not get stranded on a far away island. We had a blast! We enjoyed the scenic cruise of the lake, the amazing sunset, the bats taking flight at dusk, delicious food and tasty beverages (it was BYO). But mostly we just enjoyed each other’s company. A big thank you to our hosts for the evening, Waco, the Heart of Texas, and the Hilton Austin Airport for a fun-filled evening! September 11, 2014 Who’s on First? Robert Nichols Governor’s Center for Management Development Z’Tejas Austin 6th Street offered a splendid venue for the Society of Government Meeting Professionals, Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter’s September 2014 educational event, “Precedence”. This packed house was an example of exceptional event sponsorship and coordination by Lisa Grinstead, sales manager at Visit Lubbock Convention & Visitors Bureau. TLSCC was honored to have seven Lubbock professionals in attendance to share event planning information. Representing Visit Lubbock were Amy Zientek, director of sales, Leigh Martzall, sales manager, Kourtney Sodd, servicing coordinator. Additionally from Lubbock were Janie Zuniga, MCM Elegante Hotel & Suites, Ana Bures, Arbor Hotels, JoAnna Eisler, Homewood Suites, and Elizabeth Abell, Embassy Suites. Our consistent supporter, the Governor’s Center, provided A/V equipment for this event. precedence [pres-i-duh ns, pri-seed-ns] - the right to precede in order, rank, or importance; priority. - the right to precede others in ceremonies or social formalities. Lieutenant Shane Poole, Travis County Sheriff’s Office transportation officer, offered specific processes for understanding what precedence is, means of determining precedence, and a variety of precedence categories. Lieutenant Poole shared that precedence is the foundation and common language of protocol. Practicing precedence daily provides simple answers to complex issues of rank and formality. Our professional and personal lives are significantly being impacted through interaction with international visitors from varied cultures. Keys to determining precedence are seniority, age, position, wealth, tradition and regulation. Categories to be considered when developing precedence are government, international, business, community and family. Each of these has a hierarchy that relates specifically to a successful event. Planners and coordinators for an event involving attendees from multiple states or nations that requires country and state flags to be displayed will benefit from knowing the precedence of those flags. Improper display may be the cause of offense to the associated representative. While many may see this as no big deal, it might just be the difference between a successful event and a rebuke for poor service. Lieutenant Poole’s presentation offered many valuable tips, which he is offering to any desiring a copy. He highly recommended every planner and supplier have a copy of’ “United States Protocol, The guide to Official Diplomatic Etiquette” by Ambassador Mary Mel French on their bookshelf as a ready reference. This valued precedence and protocol guide is a handy reference for dealing with international dignitaries to state agency heads. Lisa Grinstead and the Lubbock CVB are consistently on first in support of the Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter. Take a moment to thank Lisa for coordinating this informative event. As an event professional, ask yourself how much do you really know about precedence and protocol. A simple test is, “What is the precedence and display protocol for the flag of these United States of America?” Throughout our lives we have observed those who had to be first; and, those who would believe they are the world’s greatest authority on precedence and protocol. SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Page 12 SGMP National News SGMP looks to the future in GilmerFounders Day announcement On the fourth Thursday of October, we celebrate Gilmer-Founders Day and our organization's 33rd anniversary. SGMP's history is not that of one single person, but it does start with a single vision. Back in 1981, our founders realized that none of the existing industry organizations addressed the unique needs of government meetings. Sam Gilmer's vision was simple: to create a society dedicated to government meeting planners and to provide them with the training and industry relationships to do a better job. For more than three decades, SGMP's focus has always been to expand your expertise. Today, SGMP is providing even more membership value by aggressively supporting our new mission statement. We are building bridges across our industry and we are effectively communicating the value of government meetings to key industry and external audiences. These important new aspects are essential to your National Board's commitment to expanding your expertise while supporting SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter and growing our membership. And now, SGMP is thrilled to announce the impending launch of a redesigned and enhanced website and member database, which will be significant new components of the Board's ongoing dedication to providing our members with better service and timely information with which to grow our organization. SGMP will be contacting you very soon with detailed information on how to log in to access your enhanced member functionality and how you can register now for (or apply for a scholarship to) our 2015 NEC & Expo. Keep an eye out for that email message. The SGMP mission is more relevant today than it has ever been throughout our proud history. Working together, we are making a difference across our industry and we are moving forward by creating an even brighter future for our members. Page 13 Humor in Hospitality Dear Meeting Planner: I am a convention services manager. I have unlimited resources at my disposal. I always keep at least ten meeting rooms under my desk and it is a policy here to automatically make reservations and tee times for your board of directors when you sign a contract. I can make any of my meeting rooms larger or smaller, depending on your needs. I will naturally remove any supporting pillars from your meeting space and will install windows in every room as needed. The "ocean view" is not scheduled to arrive until the second day of your program and for this I sincerely apologize. We will, however, move the hotel two feet to the left to accommodate your request by the end of your general session today. I can only throw myself at your mercy and grovel at your feet. I completely agree that it is inconceivable that we should have any other groups booked into this hotel during the program. The additional breakout rooms that you added this morning should be built no later than Wednesday. Naturally, it will be no problem to turn your session for 800 persons into a hollow square for 150 with rear view projection, simultaneous Japanese translation, and satellite hook-up during your fifteen minute coffee break. Unfortunately, due to space constraints and the fact that your final program bears no resemblance whatsoever to your contracted space, we will have to suspend your lunch buffet from the ceiling above your session and suck the gravity out of the ballroom. We have located the boxes that you sent last month, under your mother's maiden name, at the hotel down the street, and again our apologies for not having found them sooner. In answer to all your questions, it is, of course, understood that I am aware of all your speaker's requirements and will set up an overhead, LCD projector, dual slide projectors, two screens, a laser printer, podium and mic, two table mics, six aisle mics, a head table, and red and blue M & M's in each room at no charge, just in case you need them. We will automatically adjust the temperature in every room every fifteen minutes. It goes without saying that an AV tech., engineer, babysitter and myself will be underneath your head table during the duration of your event just in case you need anything else. It has been great working with you and I can't wait to see you again... really! Forever yours, SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Page 14 Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Committees 2013-2015 Awards & Scholarship Committee Chair: Rob Casias, CMP Email: President@sgmpaustin.org Phone: (512) 454-7300 Fundraising Committee Board Liaison: Susan Ruiz Email: Fundraising@sgmpaustin.org Phone: (512) 936-0466 Communications Committees: Board Liaison: Jackie Ray Email: Newsletter@sgmpaustin.org Phone: (361) 886-3563 Membership Committee Board Liaison: Louis Ledoux Email: Membership@sgmpaustin.org Phone: (512) 936-3146 Newsletter Committee: Chair: Janet Spies Email: Newsletter @sgmpaustin.org Phone: (512) 461-3236 Nominations & Elections Committee Chair: Kim Kizer Email: nominationselections@sgmpaustin.org Phone: (512) 637-3286 Website Committee Board Liaison: Stacy Janecka, CMP Email:webmaster@sgmpaustin.org Phone:512-475-4600 JOIN A COMMITTEE! The benefits of joining a committee within a professional organization are endless. People get involved for many reasons. Most importantly however, is the fact that you feel good about being able to make a difference within your industry. Plus, you can: Learn New Skills Meet New People Become a Leader Public Relations Committee Chair: Carolyn Salinas Email: PR@sgmpaustin.org Phone:(512) 463-5556 Community Involvement Committee Board Liaison: Joe Bedsole Email: CommunityInvolvement@sgmpaustin.org Phone: (512) 656-4229 Maximize your ROI (return on investment)! Education Committee Board Liaison: Veronda L. Durden Email: education@sgmpaustin.org Phone: (512) 377-0600 Education Committee Co-Chairs: Theresa Campos, CGMP Email: tcampos@hiausmid.com Phone: (512) 451-5757 You can make a difference!! Get involved and reap all the benefits the membership can offer! Finance Committee Chair: Megan Holtz Hamilton, CGMP, MBA Email: treasurer@sgmpaustin.org Phone: (512) 404-6950 Are you new to SGMP? We’d love to profile you in our next issue of this newsletter! Please contact: Karen Krc karen.r.krc@accenture.com SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter OR Robert Nichols buffalobob@austin.utexas.edu Page 15 Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter 2014 Chapter Meetings October 9, 2014 November 13, 2014 December 4, 2014 Meeting Nightmares & Solutions Grace Neid Negotiations Mary Cearley Kerri Fillip Silent Auction Crowne Plaza Sheraton Hotel Holiday Inn Town Lake 5:00—7:00 pm 5:00—7:00 pm January 8, 2015 February 12, 2015 Chapter Birthday Party! Topic: Thriving in a High Stress Environment 5:00—7:30 pm Will you speak? Can you host? Can you sponsor? Speaker: You? Host/Sponsor: You? April 9, 2015 May 7, 2015 Understanding Generational Differences Speaker: You? Host: Holiday Inn Austin Midtown July 9, 2015 Silent Auction Can you host? SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Will you speak? Can you host? Can you sponsor? March 6-8, 2015 No Meeting Partners in Education Conference San Antonio June 11, 2015 NEC Scholarship Recipients Sponsor: Waco CVB Can you Host? August 2015 Professional Development Seminar September 10, 2015 ADA Compliance TSBVI Campus Page 16 Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Board of Directors 2013-2015 President 1st Vice President Robert Casias, CMP National Guard Association of Texas 3706 Crawford Avenue Austin, TX 78731 Phone: (512) 454-7300 e-mail: President@sgmpaustin.org Louis LeDoux Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Service 4900 N. Lamar Blvd., Mail Code 1408 Austin, TX 78751 Phone: (512) e-mail: membership@sgmpaustin.org 2nd Vice President Treasurer Joe Bedsole Experience Arlington PO Box 484 Austin, TX 78767 Phone: (512) 656-4229 e-mail: CommunityInvolvement@sgmpaustin.org Megan Hamilton, MBA, CGMP Sheraton Austin Hotel 701 East Eleventh Street Austin, TX 78701 Phone: (512) 404-6950 e-mail: treasurer@sgmpaustin.org Secretary Director (Planner) Stacy Janecka, CMP Office of Attorney General of Texas P. O. Box 12548 Austin, TX 78711-2548 Phone: (512) 475-4600 e-mail: webmaster@sgmpaustin.org Veronda L. Durden Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Service 4800 N. Lamar Blvd. Austin, TX 78756 Phone: (512) 377-0600 e-mail: education@sgmpaustin.org Director (Planner) Director (Supplier) Susan Ruiz Texas Workforce Commission 101 E. 15th Street, Room 252T Austin, TX 78778 Phone: (512) 936-0466 Fax: (512) 463-6280 e-mail: Fundraising@sgmpaustin.org Jackie Ray Omni Hotels Corpus Christi 900 North Shoreline Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX 78401 Phone: (361) 886-3563 e-mail: Newsletter@sgmpaustin.org Immediate Past President Society of Government Meeting Professionals Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Box 11 Austin, Texas 78767 Kim Kizer Texas County and District Retirement System PO Box 2034 Austin, TX 78768 Phone: (512) 637-3286 e-mail: nominationselections@sgmpaustin.org SGMP is a non-profit professional organization of persons involved in planning government meetings either on a full or part-time basis - and those individuals who supply services to government planners. Our objectives are to improve the quality and promote the cost effectiveness of government meetings. SGMP Texas Lone Star Capital Chapter Chapter Vision Statement: Meeting professionals boldly leading the way in education, effective communication, and efficiency in government meetings and conferences. Page 17